Ice chipping machine



Jan. 12, 1954 J. J. SHIVELY 2,665,852

ICE CHIPPING MACHINE Filed June 1'7, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. JOHN J. SHIVELY BY F 5 5 ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 12, 1954 'ITED STAT- s PATENT oFi-"ic 'ICE CHI-PPINGMACHINE John .J. .Shively, New York,1N..Y.

Application June '17, 1950, Seria1 No. 168,727

'5 Glaims. (Cl..2.41.92.)

The present invention pertains to improvements inice chipping machines.

vMy U. 5. Patent Number 2,181,000, issued :on November :21, 1-93.9,':disc1osed and- :cla'imed "axtmachine for chipping ice, particularly adapted :to counter use in :soda fountains, restaurants, bars and the like, ithe chipped ice-being delivered :directly intozthe :glass or .otherzcontainerrioridrinks. The present invention comprises a machine :of the above general type but containing newiand useful provisions and :combinations =by*Wh-ich the performance, eificiency, and durability are greatly augmented.

An object of the inventionjiis' to provide a :idevice of the above natureginoluding :anfimproved housing, driving gear and :motor combination :by which the motor :is protected "both a ainst condensation of moisture and against aoverheating underthe severest operating conditions.

:In pursuance of the above obj eat, ,a: further -ob-' ject is'toprovide'meansby which 'the available cooling effect of water firom me1tage is -utilized to the "fullest extent for cooling the atmosphere :in the motor compartment.

Another 'objeotis to provide improved means ;of disposing o'fthe-water of meltage.

Aafurther i'object 'is'to provide *meansuoi facilitating the complete discharge'efuvery :fine :ice particles.

Other objects and advantages will become evident during the-course of the following :description in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is=a 'vertica'lsectionalyiewiof a'preferred form of the device;

Figure 2 is ahorizontal sectional "view 'in'th plane -2-2, Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional View in'the plane "3-'3, Fig. 1;

Figure 4is-asimilar view of an alternative'form of impeller;

Figure 5' shows an alternate rotor and spout combination.

Referring to Figure 1, the-numeral "l0 designates a motor housing of good heat-conducting material such as cast aluminum, having "a plurality of internal ribs ll on'the walls IQ of the interior chamber It. A bowl "M, also of suitable heat-conducting material is secured in sealing relation to the-top of the housing. A central extension 15 of the bowl M proiects downward within the chamber !3, a verticalsha'ft Hibeing journalle'd therein. A gear "H of comparatively large diameter is secured to the lower end-oi the shaft I6.

A"bracket zt8;l=form.ed ;or secured ontheside of the extension :15, oarries .a 111101701 .419 *havinga downwardly directed shaft :20. A small .epinion 2i onithe shaft 12.0:meshes with the gear Ii. The bottom surface of the bowl It is also provided with :Iiibsifl -joined :to the central extension I 5. A drain pipe 1:213, secured in-the bottom of the bowl l4, passes :in sealing :relation through the bottom of 'the'cha-mber "l3. :A'rdrawer or tray'Z' l is slidablydisposedingalower compartment 25 underlying the'endiof the-drain pipe 23. The frontend of the tray 24 extends outwardly from thetfront of Etheimachine and Zia-provided with-a removable Perforated shelf126 for supporting a glass or the like. (A smallzoverflow pipe :21 :intthe front of the tray 2.4 :hasra 'rlower :exterior portion 28 adapted to receive a flexible hoseifidesired.

5A :rQtor I129, .secured to the upper end of "the Shaft :lrfi withinithe bowl [4, comprises a'lower disc :39 carrying ia plurality-of impeller vanes 3 l these vanes :being cantedrrearwardly from the directionof rotation as shown in Fig. 2. Acutter platew32-removab1ysecured-on the top of the rotor 29 1-and overlying the impeller 'vanes 38, has a series of p-upwardly inclined "picks ':33 disposed above-suitable:openings 3-4 for "the passage of ice chips. ;A :central breaker .accmprising a hub "35 equipped-with outwardly extending hooked picks 36,.-is:seoured onthetop-of the cutter plate t'i.

Referring to Fig. 2, the :numeral 31 designates a-passage-extending throughthe'front of the bowl member l-4 in substantially tangential relation to the rotoraZB. Aspout' 38, secured to the front of the :bowl 1"4, has an outwardly and downwardly curving 'interior' 39 registering with and forming a-continuation of the tangential passage 31. "The entire outlet passage is -:slightly divergent outwardlyto-facilitate' theflow of ice.

A 'triggerr lfl, equipped with a contact pad 41 of rubber or the like, is hinged' be'low the spout 38. A'plate 42"fastened:tothe'frontofthe casing 1'0 in air-tight relation, carries on its inner side a normallv open'snap switch 43 and an actuating lever :44 therefor having a button 45 adapted to be moved by the trigger 40. A resilient diaphragm J45 forms an airtight seal "between the picks 33- to restrain rotationcf ice.

An exterior casing 5|, preferably of sheet metal, is surmounted by a cap 52 which extends over and forms an inner rim for the top of the hopper 49. A lid 53 forms a top closure for the hopper. Suitable heat-insulating material 54 is disposed between the hopper 49 and the outer casing 5!.

The operation of the device is as follows:

Broken ice is placed in the hopper 49. When it is desired to dispense ice into a receptacle, for example a glass, the latter is held under the spout 38 and pressed against the trigger pad 4!. The movement of the trigger 40 actuates the switch 43, starting the motor [9. The motor, acting via the pinion 2!, gear [1, and shaft l6, rotates the rotor 29 and cutter plate 32. The picks 33 attack the bottom of the ice chunks, picking chips therefrom which pass downward through the openings 34-to the interior of the rotor 29, whence the vanes 3i hurl them outward through the passage 31-39 into the glass. When chips delivered approach the desired amount the operator withdraws the glass, allowing the switch 43 to open and the device to stop.

The height to which the picks 33 are inclined above the plate 32 determines the size of the ice chips produced. Thus plates 32 may be provided with picks 33 adapted to produce any desired size of chips from very coarse to very fine grades, dependent on the type of service required.

The breaker picks 36, rotating above the middle of the plate 32. break up any masses of ice which may have become caked during idle periods, casting the fragments outward into line with the chipper picks 33.

In certain types of service, particularly in warm and humid climates, it is important that the motor I9 and attached gearing be protected against heavy condensation of moisture from the atmosphere during idle periods when residual ice in the hopper 49 causes the lower portion of the device to cool down. In the present invention this is accomplished by making the chamber l3 airtight, joints of the bowl [4, plate 42, drain pipe 23 and cord 41 with the housing in being of sealing type as already described, and the shaft I6 being provided with a sealed upper bearing 55. Thus no entry of or circulation of outer air is possible, so that the motor and gears operate in a confined atmosphere in which the only moisture present is the negligible amount which may have been present in initial assembly. Consequently. harmful condensation cannot occur to iniure the motor, gears, switch, internal wiring and related parts.

Since, as noted above, the motor [9 operates in an air-tight chamber, special'provision is made for cooling the motor, especially as warm climatic conditions, giving rise to heavy demand for iced drinks and the like, frequently keep the device in almost continuous operation for con-' Such provision is water of meltage both when the machine is at rest and when it is in operation, the latter since a large part of the meltage developed during chipping is centrifuged to the inner circumference of the bowl and runs down therein. By this means the upper surface of the bowl is subjected to continuous cooling. A certain amount of refrigerating effect is also transmitted directly from the ice by the walls of the bowl. Thelower surface of the bowl is exposed directly to the atmosphere within the closed chamber l3, without the interposition of gear boxes or other obstructions, and as previously noted, is provided with ribs 22 which give it a large heat-absorbing area in contact with the re-circulating air, so that heat from the motor and carried by the air is efliciently absorbed and transmitted out of the chamber. Thus the continuously cooled bowl structure described comprises a direct and positive refrigerating means for the moving interior air, thereby insuring proper cooling of the motor. The actual over-all effect is to provide means for applying a small fraction of the cooling effect of the ice charge positively to the motor while at the same time protecting the latter against moisture either of meltage or of condensation.

The above cooling effect is augmented by the ribs I I in the interior of the housing It], which also absorb heat from the moving interior air and transmit it outward through the exterior casing 5i and to the lower chamber 25, and by the passage of water down through the drain pipe 23. The chamber 13 is of large extent in proportion to the size of the motor l9, thus providing an ample volume of cooling air as well as large heat-conducting surface as noted. A certain amount of motor heat is also transmitted directly to the cooling bowl structure via the bracket l8 on the extension l5.

By disposing the gear I I and pinion 2| in the bottom of the chamber 13 instead of the top thereof, interference with free access of the circulating air to the bottom of the bowl I4 is prevented. The gear I! is preferably made of laminated plastic with helical teeth, the corresponding pinion 2! being of metal. By this combination smooth and durable operation is secured without the necessity for lubrication, thereby also eliminating grease housings which would act as obstructions to air movement. In case it may be desired to use a motor not eouipped with an internal fan, or if further reinforcement of the air circulation is deemed advantageous, suitable fan blades 56a may be mounted on the gear I! or their equivalent attached to the motor shaft 20.

For the severest operating conditions a further addition to the refrigerating system'for the interior air may be made by use of the rotor and drain modification illustrated 'in Figure 4. In this embodiment the rotor 29a, instead of being formed with the lower disc 3!) a solid throughout its circumference, is cut away to form openings 51 in those sectors not underlying the picks 38. By this means the vanes 3! trailing the openings 51 are in direct communication with the inner bottom of the bowl l4, so that in rotation these vanes operate as a centrifugal fan to force the air from the bowl out through the spout 38. The drain pipe 23a may be made of' comparatively large diameter, forming an inlet for air which insures a positive circulation through the bowl.

the bowl, but also assists in the ejection of the ice particles. may also be. providedby means. of fins 58 on the enlarged drainpi-pe 23a, by which means heat from the chamber is transmitted to the air flowing up through the drain. The latter flow, however, has not sufiic-ient velocity to interfere with downward flowof water along the wails of the drain when the machine is in operation.

The openings 51 in the rotor structure shown in Figure 4 provide easy access to the bottom of the bowl M for cleaning, by removal either of the cutter plate 32 or the spout 38, but without removal of the rotor itself.

Figure 5 illustrates a form of the discharge mechanism particularly adapted to facilitating the fast ejection of fine ice particles which due to their very small mass acquire less centrifugal momentum than larger chips and consequently pass less readily through the outlet. In this form the spout 59 proper is madeof light material such as sheet metal, and is resiliently secured to the bowl Ida, for example by means of a leaf spring 60. A small roller 6|, preferably tired with rubber or the like is horizontally mounted on the spout structure so as to press against the periphery of the lower rotor disc 30. The latter is cut away to form a plurality of flats 62.

When the device is in operation the roller -5| follows the peripheral contour of the disc 30 which acts as a cam, causing the spout 59 to be vibrated rapidly inward and outward. By this action any tendency for ice particles to stick in the spout is prevented, the spout acting as a vibratory feeder to supplementthe centrifugal ejecting action of the rotor vanes 3|. It will be understood that in practice the amplitude of vibration is very small, the extent of the flats 52 being necessarily exaggerated in Fig. 5 for clarity in illustration. As a structural variation the vibratory effect may be attained by leaving the disc 30 circular and making the roller 6| slightly eccentric.

An outer spout cover 63 may be provided for purposes of appearance and to prevent glasses from encountering the vibrating spout 59.

It will be obvious that vibratory spout structure may be employed either with the solid lower rotor disc 3|! as shown in Fig. 5 or with the cutaway disc 30a of the type shown in Fig. 4.

The described structure of the drain tray 24 provides for ready disposal of water of meltage in different operating situations. When the device is used on a counter or back-bar location in which no sink or other drain facility is conveniently available, the tray 24 is simply drawn out and emptied periodically. In counter locations wherein a sink or the like is directly behind the machines position, the latter may be disposed with the projecting tray overhanging the sink. In this case the water flows through the overflow tube 2'! and falls directly into the sink, eliminating the removal of the tray 24 except for occasional cleaning. If the sink or other drain facility is nearby but not directly in line as noted, a suitable tube leading thereto may be attached to the extension 28. The extended front portion of the tray 24, in addition to providing the necessary overhang for the convenient drainage noted, also serves to catch any drip from the spout 38 and trigger pad 4|. The trigger and its pad have been removed in Figures 2 and 4 in order to show' the plate 26 most clearly.

While the invention has been described in pre- Additional' motor cooling effect- 6 ferred form, it, is not limited to the exactstructuresillustrated; :as various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Referring again to Figure '2', the cutter or pick plate :32'm-ay be provided with a plurality of perforations 64 opposite the picks 33. These per forations facilitate drainage of water, and when the plate .is-alsed with the type of rotor 30a illustratedin Fig. 4, the perforations also comprise a direct inlet to the bowl [4 through which cold air and moisture from the ice mass above are drawn directly into the lower bowl by the described centrifugal fan action of the trailing vanes 3|.

While the portion of the refrigerating eflect of the ice charge applied positively to the motor by the means herein described is great enough to insure against overheating at all times, its magnitude in proportion to the total refrigerating effect contained in the charge is so small as to be commercially insignificant. Obviously the more the device is operated the greater the motors cooling requirement becomes, but at the 5 same time the greater also becomes the quantity of ice dispensed, so that the proportion remains substantially constant under any given condition of climate and weather.

What is claimed is:

1. In an ice-chipping machine, in combination, means forming a working chamber including a hopper adapted to contain ice and a mem ber supporting said hopper and comprising a bottom for said chamber, a rotary plate in said chamber and having a plurality of openings, a plurality of picks on said plate adjacent said openings, said picks being adapted to form chips from said ice and to deflect said chips through said openings, means forming an outlet passage from said chamber, a centrifugal ejector for said chips below said plate and picks and in cooperative alignment with said passage, said centrifugal ejector having a plurality of bottom air inlet openings circumferentially spaced from said first openings and in direct communication with the air above said bottom whereby said air may be ejected through said passage, means forming a second chamber below said supporting member, and a motor in said second chamber operatively connected to said rotary plate and said ejector.

2. The combination claimed in claim 1 including a conduit of substantial cross-sectional area extending through said second chamber into said supporting member and adapted to admit air to said bottom of said working chamber.

3. The combination claimed in claim 1 including a conduit extending through said second chamber into said supporting member and adapted to admit air to said bottom of said working chamber, and a plurality of heat-absorbing fins on the outer surface of said conduit within said second chamber.

4. In an ice chipping device, in combination, a casing having a working chamber adapted to contain ice, means in said chamber to chip said ice, an outlet spout resiliently attached to said casing and forming an outlet for said chipped ice from said chamber, a centrifugal rotor cooperative with said chipping means and adapted to move said chipped ice from said chamber into said spout, and mechanical means operatively connecting said rotor and said spout to vibrate said spout.

5. The combination claimed in claim 4 wherein 7 said rotor includes a disc having a periphery comprising a plurality of camming surfaces,-and wherein said mechanical means includes a roller rotatably secured to said spout and resiliently pressed against said periphery.

- JOHN J. SI-HVELY.

7 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 8 Name Date Anderson Sept. 12, 1922 "Weigel Nov. 14, 1933 Krause Jan. 23, 1934 Smith Mar. 10, 1936 Shively Nov. 21, 1939 Fromm Jan. 9, 1940 Kendall June 2'7, 1944 Gundelfinger Sept. 6, 1949 Echols S12, et a1. Jan. 30, 1951 McIntyre 1 Feb. 20, 1951 

